Independence Day
by Gothic984
Summary: Trinity is buzzed due to the upcoming fourth of July celebration and Lucas decides to help Caleb channel some of his pent up feelings.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from The Long Way.

A low excited buzz flowed through the air of Trinity South Carolina, as the impending fourth of July celebrations were being prepared for by most of the towns residents. It was a joyous time of year, it was a time for all to come together to celebrate and embrace their patriotism as one united community. This holiday displayed the true foundations of Trinity, how it's residents valued the american dream and all were out in force taking in the spectacles leading up to the big day.

The Elementary School auditorium was decorated with flags and banners, a clear dedication to patriotism and each other. The audience full of parents and families sat together happily to show their support for their loved ones on stage, proud that they were outwardly participating in this great event shared by their nation.

Gail Buck sat in the crowded assembly hall leaning into her husband, as his arm rested around her chest protectively. She disregarded the whispers she heard from the gossiping women behind her and inhaled deeply in an attempt to hide her discomfort at being put on show at this time of year.

No matter how far she had come with her life and who she married, she would always be the little girl who lost her parents when the Trinity Guardian building went up in flames on the fourth of July. She hated being in Trinity at this time of year, unable to hide from her demons and wanting nothing more than to lock herself away in her Mansion. She was not used to making appearances at this difficult time, let alone one so public and her husbands need to bring her along to this boring occasion was uncalled for.

Lucas wrapped his arm further around her and stroked her shoulder reassuringly, then smiled when she rested her chin on his wrist and bit it playfully. 'You enjoyin' the play?' he whispered and shot a warning glance at a man who turned to look at them, as though he had the balls to tell them to be silent.

Gail glanced over her shoulder at the women who were clearly gossiping about her and shook her head disapprovingly at them. 'I have to say that the retelling of the declaration of independence is truly enthralling' she whispered sarcastically and rolled her eyes when yet another child appeared on the stage in front of them, dressed in a silly costume.

'How do you think I feel? I usually have to attend a thousand of these things' he said, amused at her response.

'Well I'm not the Sheriff of Trinity and I didn't choose to be the caretaker of this Town' she advised, unimpressed that her presence was required here.

'No, you just married him' he smiled, then kissed her bare shoulder affectionately and rested her head on hers, enjoying the opportunity to show off his relationship to his townspeople.

Selena Coombs watched the affectionate display with resentment and shook her head in irritation. She was back to being ignored by every important player and every time she tried to move on with her life, she was reminded of the happy couple and their new arrival. The one saving grace for her was that Gail was not the talk of the town for her perfection at this moment in time, it was due to the death of her parents and she knew that would be bothering her nemesis to no end.

Gail sensed Selena's thoughts and leaned forward slightly, then shot her a stern glance which dared her to do something that would warrant retaliation. When the woman quickly turned her attention back towards the stage, Gail leaned back into her husband and let out a frustrated sigh.

'I can deal with that for you if you want love' Lucas suggested, not requiring much of a reason to terrorise his ex.

'Can you deal with all of them for me?' she asked sarcastically and signalled to the group of women behind her.

'I seriously doubt you need me to fight your battles Darlin', but if you're not up to the challenge due to your delicate condition I'd be willin' to take one for the team' he whispered, excited at the possibility that she may in fact authorise his bad behaviour.

Gail sensed his excitement and rolled her eyes in exasperation. Although she would happily allow him to eliminate everyone that was bothering her right now, he could not erase her past and she would always be known for the tragedy that befell her family.

'I don't know, if we spring a few more heirs over the next year or so I'm sure your past would be forgotten' Lucas joked, sensing her thoughts.

Gail looked up at him with wide eyes for a moment, taken aback by the brazen comment, then they both started laughing and her discomfort was forgotten.

Caleb ducked low as he crept through the front of the audience and tried to discreetly place himself on the seat next to his Father, then stared up at the stage as though his presence their was acceptable.

Lucas glanced at Gail for a moment, amused at his sons courage, then forced a serious look and turned towards him purposefully. 'You comfortable there son?' he asked quietly, ignoring the sighs from the judgemental people behind him who cannot seem to accept a little talking through the dull play. He made a mental note of who they were and decided he would revisit their behaviour later.

'Yeah, it'll do' Caleb shrugged brazenly and quickly turned his face to the stage, to avoid Gail's disapproving look.

Gail reached up and caressed her husbands cheek affectionately, then brought his head gently down to hers and lifted her lips close to his ears. 'If you don't nip this unacceptable act in the bud right now, you'll both be sleeping somewhere else tonight' she forced a smile, then turned her attention back to the monotonous play.

'What did I do?' Lucas asked confused.

'What haven't you done?' Gail snapped quietly, then pulled away from him and sat upright in her chair.

Lucas let out an exasperated sigh and leaned towards Caleb again. 'Your time's comin' up shortly son, you need to get ready' he advised calmly, trying to hide his irritation at his wife's sudden shift in mood.

Caleb sat defiantly on the chair and did not take his eyes off of the children in front of him on the stage. He did not want to play any part in this stupid show and his new friend told him that he did not have to do anything he did not want to; therefore, he had decided that he would give it a miss. He only came out front as he knew the scolding he would get for disappearing without notice would be immense.

Lucas glanced at Gail, who now sat with her arms folded firmly over her chest and turned his full attention to Caleb. 'You may think your lack of movement is brave, but I assure you it's not. If you really wanna commit to defying me in public, you better be ready for the consequences' he whispered, feeling his twin itching to be released to teach his son a lesson.

Caleb looked his Father in the eyes defiantly and did not move. He found it hard to direct his anger at Gail these days, with all she had done for him and the kind way she was treating him. It was Father who got her in the situation that she was in and the more time he spent with his new friend, the more he realised that his Fathers behaviour was inexcusable.

Gail sensed the tension rising between them and let out a small laugh at her husbands inability to complete a simple task without insulting anyone. So far both Caleb and Lucas remained calm, not giving away anything to the prying eyes all around them; however, she sensed the short fuse on both of her boys and cursed herself for being stuck with them both.

Gail stood up and smiled apologetically for blocking the view of the people behind them, then grabbed Caleb's arm gently and dragged him out of the seat towards the edge of the stage. She disregarded Selena's amused look, clearly able to read the signs of when Lucas was losing his patience and tried to focus on Caleb. 'Are you trying to hurt me?' she asked confused, when they had gotten to a secluded spot away from everybody else.

Caleb did not appreciate being dragged out of sight; however, he knew better than to make a scene and felt bad at her insinuation. 'I don't wanna do this, it's stupid!' he snapped, trying to explain himself.

'And me being dragged out here to watch this stupid play isn't? It's the anniversary of my parent's deaths in two days, you know the one that everybody in this Town loves to talk about at this time of year? You think I want to be here either?' she asked abruptly, unable to keep her cool.

Caleb stared at her defiantly for a moment, then saw the sorrow in her eyes and took a deep breath to control his anger towards her. 'I just wanna go home Gail' he said quietly and shuffled on the spot uncomfortably, sensing she was going to make him perform in front of all the people out there and willing her to understand his discomfort.

Gail sensed the pleading in his undertone and ran her fingers through her hair in exasperation. She had warned Lucas to fix his son's behaviour,; however, he was like a son to her too now and she found it hard to be mad at him. 'That's all I wanna do Caleb, but you're Thomas Edison and I don't think this play can go on without you...If you're seriously telling me that you really can't do this then I won't force you, but life isn't about sticking to your comfort zone all of the time' she advised him, hoping he would just grin and bare this silly play like they all had to do in their childhood.

Caleb stared up at Gail with sad eyes, indicating that he could not do this and smiled when she rolled her eyes at him, then hugged her knowingly. 'You're the best!' he exclaimed, then rushed towards the exit to go find Rose.

Lucas had been watching from the shadows and approached his love casually when his eldest had scarpered. 'You threaten me, then just let him go anyway?' he asked in disbelief, not caring that Caleb had gotten out of his position at the worst possible time but annoyed that the boy had not listened to him.

'He's Lucas Buck's son...would you or I do something that we didn't want to do?' she sighed frustrated, then placed a soft kiss on his lips and headed back to her seat, choosing to disregard the problems that Caleb's exit would case to the production.

Lucas nodded at her question she left him with and shrugged to himself, knowing that he would not be caught dead in such a thing as this and sighed when spotted Selena coming towards him.

'Where's our Edison?' Selena asked concerned and glanced around the area frantically.

'Off doin' somethin' or other...good luck with your production, I'll be watchin' eagerly for the end result' Lucas smiled smugly, happy that they had at least caused her some disruption and returned to his wife to complete his duty.

* * *

Merlyn knelt down peacefully in front of her Mothers grave and felt a single tear roll down her cheek. She knew her Mother was in a better place away from people that could hurt her; however, undergoing the tough project she had committed to had brought up some memories that she had not wanted to revisit and she had felt a strong urge to visit her Mother.

'Living in the past is toxic, it'll consume you and cause all kinds of wrong decisions. Speaking from experience, you need to start looking forward' Gail said, understanding her hurt first hand and knowing all to well what it was like having the past control her life for so long.

'Do you come here often?' Merlyn asked her and touched her Mothers small gravestone sadly.

Gail glanced over her shoulder at the plot where her parents lay buried and felt a flutter in her stomach. It was a shame that the Sisters were not buried beside each other, considering how close she knew her Mother and Judith were; however, she was happy that they were not too far apart and wondered whether her husband had a hand in the placement of the graves.

'My Daddy buried my Mom in a small graveyard close to our home' Merlyn shrugged, sensing her cousins curiosity. 'Her grave was moved after that, I was too young to know by who'

Gail knew without a doubt that it was Lucas, Gage was a poor man and she doubted he would uproot a grave. Her husbands fascination with Judith was not something that she wanted to dwell on and she turned her mind back to Merlyn's question, in an attempt to dispel her ill feelings towards her Aunt. 'I haven't been here since...' she started, then stopped when she remembered when it was.

'Since when?' Merlyn asked curiously, standing up and dusting off her jeans.

'Since my dead Father decided to take up a Study in my home with Lucas' dead Father' Gail laughed and shook her head at how crazy that sounded.

Merlyn narrowed her eyes at her for a moment, then let out a loud laugh. 'I guess that ain't so odd when you're talkin' to me, your cousin from beyond the grave' she smiled, still not fully believing how much her cousin had accepted her presence.

'Well we're not going there...ever' Gail advised, then smiled at her warmly and stared down at Judith's grave with disdain. 'Is there anything I can do to help you through this?' she asked, realising how ironic it was that she was mothering both of Judith's children when the woman would undoubtedly challenge her for Lucas if she was still alive.

Merlyn inhaled deeply and just shook her head. 'I just had a moment of doubt, I'm alright...Anythin' I can do to help you with your demons?' she asked, very aware of what time of year it was and how calm her cousin appeared.

Gail turned around and walked closer to her parents graves, then regarded them carefully. She had not intended to be here, especially with how much the public eye appeared to be on her recently; however, she had been unable to abandon her cousin when she sensed her pain, regardless of what pain she felt herself. 'I'm good' she lied, then inhaled deeply and signalled for Merlyn to follow her without giving her parents graves a second look.

Merlyn glanced over her shoulder at the graves and stared wide eyed when she spotted a shadow lurking under a near by tree, then shook off her vision puting it down to being overworked recently and followed her cousin.

* * *

Caleb stared up at the ceiling in his bedroom, as he lay comfortably on his bed. He was finding it harder to sleep due to the dark thoughts that were flooding through his head and his tiredness was making him agitated.

'You did good today' a quiet voice travelled through the room.

Caleb glanced around and spotted the dark figure in the corner. 'I wish you wouldn't hide like that' he advised, sitting up and rubbing his sleepy eyes.

The figure let out a small laugh and came a little closer. 'We've gotta be careful, your cousin won't react well to you lettin' me in but that wouldn't be an issue if you just...'

'Leave her alone' Caleb interrupted, sick of hearing his new friends bad feelings about Gail. 'She's my Step Mom anyhow, not my cousin' he shrugged and lay back on the bed moodily.

'She's a pariah and a heathen who shouldn't be here' the figure advised, sensing the boys irritation and disregarding it.

'She looks after me and helped me get outta the play, that's more than my Daddy did' Caleb said flatly, not wanting to discuss Gail anymore.

'Cause he was doin' what she asked' the voice advised with disdain.

'Then he needs to start thinkn' for himself, that ain't her fault' Caleb snapped.

'The baby she's carryin' needs to go' the figure said, disregarding the boys comment about his Father.

'My Brother ain't goin' nowhere' Caleb advised, remembering his Fathers warnings and not allowing himself to get caught up with thoughts of the baby.

'Sister young Buck, that there baby is a girl' the figure said bitterly.

'It's a what?' Caleb asked confused, a sudden surge of resentment flowing through him.

'Caleb?' Gail whispered softly, opening the bedroom door quietly and peering around the room concerned. She had been unable to sleep after Lucas had worn her out, due to dreams about her parents and she was concerned when she sensed Caleb was still awake.

Caleb took in a sharp intake of breath, then sat up in his bed and forced his demeanour to soften. 'Yes?' he asked quietly, hoping she had not heard what they were discussing.

Gail entered the room slowly, convinced she had heard more than one voice and let out a long breath when there was no one else here but Caleb. 'It's late, are you alright? I thought I heard you awake, can't you sleep?' she asked as she sat down on the bed and wrapped her arms around him affectionately.

Caleb nodded and allowed her to lay back with him on the bed, resting his head on her chest comfortably.

Gail lay silently holding him for a moment and stroked his head reassuringly. 'We're not mad at you you know? It just would've been easier if you made your objections clear before the production' she advised, not wanting him to feel bad about what had happened earlier.

'My Daddy's mad' Caleb said knowingly.

'Not for reasons you or I can understand though, so don't let that bother you and we'll just keep right out of it' she smiled, hugging him closer to her chest.

Caleb pondered over her words for a moment, then felt himself starting to drift off to sleep in her arms and welcomed his slumber.

Gail felt Caleb's body become heavier on hers as he fell asleep and decided to stay a little longer, surveying the room suspiciously for the voice she knew had previously been here.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Lucas stood on his side porch holding a cup of fresh coffee and staring into the vast garden before him, taking in the morning air. He had been happy when his wife's mood perked up after the failed play Caleb was supposed to be involved in, meaning their night heated up nicely when they returned home and he was able to work off some of his pent up frustration.

Caleb had avoided him after Gail authorised his disappearance the previous night and Lucas would have happily imposed his law onto the boy, had Gail not chosen to distract him in such a convincing way. He did not like that the pair appeared to be teaming up against him; however, at least he benefited greatly when she chose to step up and take punishment for the boy.

Last night had been like old times, with no holds barred and everything up for the taking. Considering his love was in a delicate condition, she managed to give as good as she got and even managed to leave some battle scars on him, which he was very proud of. The thought of last nights antics brought a devilish grin to his face and it put him in a mischievous mood for the day ahead.

'God help Ben' Gail laughed, as she entered the porch wearing her short silk robe and took a long sip from a bottle of water she was carrying.

'No coffee?' Lucas asked surprised, knowing how tired she must be due to how late he had kept her up and her mysterious wander in the middle of the night, which he chose not to pry into.

'Hydration above caffeine for now soulmate' she smiled, then wrapped her arms around his waist and glanced over his shoulder appreciatively at the extravagant garden.

'You really should pull your finger out and start plantin' out there, it's virtually a waste land and it's not as though you have anythin' better to do' he scolded sarcastically, leaning back into her and placing a soft kiss on her lips.

'Oh I'll get right on that Sheriff, just after my Doctor appointments, Ben's wedding planning, looking after your youngest, my tasks in Goat Town, looking after your eldest, being a Reporter...Oh and keeping you in line' Gail laughed whilst slapping his arm playfully, then moved in front of him and allowed him to wrap his arms around her stomach.

'Harvard wants to see you again huh? Anythin' I need to be concerned about?' he asked, noting it was the third time this week that Matt requested her presence.

Gail looked back at him casually and shrugged. 'Hell if I know, he's still coming to terms with our unique situation' she explained, trying not to think about the anomalies that Matt kept finding within her when he compared her samples to a normal pregnancy.

Lucas stroked her stomach reassuringly and nuzzled his nose into her neck playfully. 'If only he knew the things you get up to, his head would explode' he laughed and bit her neck teasingly, then heard wary footsteps heading towards them and let out a small sigh.

Caleb came out of the house quietly and entered the porch slowly, holding Luke's arms to provide support for his younger brother while he attempted to walk. He had kept himself hidden last night, avoiding his Father in case he was still mad at him; however, Gail would not allow him to sneak out this morning and ride to School on his bicycle, so he thought he would at least be useful and show that he was minding Luke for them as a good son should.

'The wanderin' son returns' Lucas said sarcastically, then shot Gail a confused look when she dug her nails hard into his wrist.

'We're cutting it fine for getting you to School. You get some breakfast yet? ' Gail asked Caleb, giving Lucas a look of warning and disregarding his comment. There appeared to be an unspoken issue between them and it was starting to irritate her, heaven forbid the boys in this family actually talk things out or share with her rather than making petty digs.

'Not yet ma'am, but I will' Caleb advised, ignoring her disapproving look and smiling at Luke as he tried so hard to reach his parents faster.

Lucas sensed her frustration as she rolled her eyes at Caleb's response and held her tighter, not wanting to give her mood any reason to shift when things appeared to be going so well with them recently. 'It's alright love, I'll make sure he's well fed before headin' into the office with me today' he advised and winked at her reassuringly.

'You're keeping him off School?' she asked, confused at his sudden desire to spend time with Caleb.

'Why not? It'll give us boys time to talk before I decide whether we need to share with you or not' he whispered knowingly, then nipped her ear playfully.

Gail inhaled deeply to hide her irritation at him reading her thoughts and pondered over whether she should be mad at his rash decision to keep Caleb out of School, or happy that he appeared to want to resolve whatever issue they were having. She thought on it for a moment, then smiled sweetly and reached up to caress his cheek. 'I'll tell you what, you take both of our children into the office today and I won't be mad at you disrupting our boys education' she suggested, seeing an opportunity for a child free day and desperately wanting to seize it.

Lucas considered her proposal for a moment, then shook his head slowly and stroked her arm in an attempt to let her down easily. 'As much as I'd like for your good mood to continue, our youngest is a handful recently and that's putting it lightly. If my townspeople see me with him they'll be all over us and I can't...' he started.

'Oh come on' Gail interrupted in a dramatic amused tone, then pulled him gently towards her lips and whispered in his ear teasingly. 'I might even have some appreciation to show for it later should I have a productive day...in addition to my gratitude at the end of the day, each task I manage to complete may result in a reward for the party who made it possible when said individual tasks are accomplished' she smiled playfully.

Lucas felt her hand brush up against his manhood discreetly and inhaled deeply, in an attempt to control his urges. He could send her mischievous mood and it took all of his will power not to throw her down and take her right now. 'When each task is completed huh?' he asked quietly.

'On the dot Sheriff' Gail nodded and stared up at him seductively, licking her lips as she gazed longingly into his eyes.

'And approximately how many tasks have you got Mrs Buck?' Lucas asked curiously.

'Oh at least 5, maybe more...what do you say Sheriff? Deal?' she asked sweetly, sensing his desire for her and having to keep her own urges in check while the children were near.

Lucas licked his lips and shook his head in mock disapproval, then let out a long sigh and gently pushed her away from him to enable him to get a hold on his desire. 'You win love, now get outta my sight before I change my mind' he ordered and ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation at being stuck with both children.

Gail smiled triumphantly and smacked his behind playfully, before shooting Caleb an amused wink and picking up Luke so she could get them both ready.

'You handled that well' Caleb said sarcastically, amused at how easily Gail could impose her will on his Father.

'Say's you who bows down to her every whim when she shows you some attention' Lucas snapped back, not liking his sons observation.

'Snap' Caleb retorted, then went back into the house and patiently waited for Luke to join him.

* * *

Lucas entered the Sheriff's Station holding Luke in his car seat, with Caleb trailing moodily behind him. His eldest had been quiet for the journey in even when he stopped at the boys favourite Diner for pancakes and bacon, which was uncharacteristic of Caleb. His son was always excited when he got permission to miss School, especially when Gail had agreed; however, his current lack of interest was concerning.

He had not spoken to Caleb about what had transpired in their backyard after they had returned from their trip to Bowers Creek, choosing to ignore the interfering presence that he stumbled across and hoping Caleb had the good sense to tune it out; however, it was evident that the meddling ass had time to interact with his son, as there was no one else who would dare convince his heir that it was acceptable to shut him out. The boys current behaviour towards him would not be allowed to remain and he was determined to put an end to it once and for all.

Lucas had considered the possibility that his sons misplaced anger was still down to the Gail's condition, this all started when she announced her pregnancy at the Mayoral debate; however, the boy was not focusing his disobedience on her, indicating that he did not blame her for what he was feeling. That was good as he did not have the patience to deal with both Gail's darkness as well as Caleb's right now, knowing without a doubt that Rosemary and Gideon would step in if they sensed any danger towards his love or his Daughter; however, it meant that his son's hatred was solely directed at him and he was not used to Caleb having ill feelings towards him for a prolonged period of time.

The two women who he had working menial jobs for him began gatheing in the reception area of the Sheriff's Station and stared at Luke with admiring eyes. Lucas put on his best charming smile and headed towards them, sensing it was better to get the niceties over with now so they could all get back to their duties. He knew taking Luke to work with him was a bad idea and cursed himself for allowing Gail to easily convince him otherwise.

Caleb glanced around the reception area, then spotted Ben hiding in the corner away from the women and signalling him discreetly. Caleb approached Ben curiously and smiled pleasantly at him. 'Mornin' Deputy' he said warmly, remembering his manners.

'Mornin' mini Deputy' Ben joked and shot Caleb an amused wink after sensing Lucas' irritation. 'He get lumbered with the baby today?'

'Yes sir' Caleb smiled and nodded, he had always liked Ben and had a lot of time for the man.

Ben laughed and shook his head. 'I know how that is...You not at School today?' he asked curiously, feigning a suspicious tone.

'My Daddy wanted me to come to work with him' Caleb shrugged, still not understanding why his Father required his presence.

'Oh I'm your Daddy now?' Lucas asked sarcastically, as he left Luke in the care of the women who wanted to fuss over and approached the pair hiding in the corner. 'Here I was thinkin' that I was the enemy'

Caleb straightened up and stared at his Father defiantly, suddenly feeling disdain for the man and wanting to show that he was not scared of him.

'You two get into somethin' that I don't know about?' Ben asked, spotting the instant change in Caleb's demeanour and knowing full well how bad Lucas took defiance.

'Apparently we're into somethin' that I don't know about' Lucas advised, not taking his eyes off of his eldest and standing over him dominantly.

Ben sensed the tension between the two of them and decided he wanted no part of it; therefore, he broke free from the group and rescued Luke from the two women who had taken to smothering the boy in kisses, ignoring their looks of disapproval. 'Tell you what, seen as you've done somethin' for your girl I might as well do somethin' for mine...I'm gonna go patrol the pier with Luke and Izzy, Caleb could take my place on our patrol today Sheriff' he suggested, hoping to leave them both alone to work out their issues.

Lucas continued to stand dominantly over Caleb, not sure whether he was annoyed at the boys current stance or proud that he was attempted to insert his own dominance, then turned towards Ben when he realised that he was willing to take Luke off of his hands for the day. 'You know that's a great idea Deputy, the boy's more than capable of picking up the slack' he nodded his appreciation, then signalled for Caleb to follow him out of the Station before Ben changed his mind.

* * *

Gail stared up at the large Trinity Guardian building and inhaled deeply, trying to push down her unease. It was bad enough that she was required to be a public presence at this time of year; however, it was going to be worse in her place of work, knowing all of her colleagues would want to pry into the life of the woman who's parents died in the famous fire on the fourth of July.

It was hard for her to keep up appearances whilst remembering the visions of her Mother burning. Her Mothers screams still pierced through her dreams and she always tried desperately to hide her unease from her family, not wanting to drag them down to a depressed state with her. She was doing well too, Lucas appeared to have no idea that she was suffering and she had always been able to shield her feelings well from Caleb.

She did find that Luke wanted to cuddle her more and acted up when he was not by her side, she supposed her guard may not be as strong as she liked around her son and his recent demanding behaviour may be down to her shifting moods. If that was the case Lucas should be having fun right now, the thought amused her and she laughed to herself as she approached the entrance to the large building.

'Mornin' Mrs Buck, what a pleasant sight on this long monotonous day' the security guard stood behind the desk said and nodded happily at her.

'You working those 12 hour shifts again John? Clearly you've left time to hit the gym, you're looking really well' she smiled warmly and stopped by his desk courteously.

'Ah hell, you behave Gail...the only exercise I get is liftin' my hand to my mouth' he laughed pleasantly and patted his large stomach jovially.

Gail laughed at his honest disposition and shook her head in mock scorn. 'Well, if I wasn't already taken, you'd have to hold me back' she winked playfully, then headed towards the elevators slowly. 'Say hello to Ellie for me, she does well lookin' after you' she called back and waited patiently for her elevator.

When the elevator finally came, she entered the small space on autopilot and took a deep breath as the door closed in front of her. She begrudgingly selected her floor, not wanting to be here and watched the dial tick up slowly until the door opened again at the required destination. As she walked down the corridor to her office, she noted how quiet the place was and hoped that she would remain undisturbed.

Gail nodded pleasantly towards the secretary at the main desk and rushed to her office to avoid engaging in conversation, then closed the door and the blinds in an attempt to remain hidden. She paced her office slowly, noting that Merlyn had done nothing to make this her own and let out a small laugh. It appeared that her cousin never had any intention of staying in this position, meaning she was required to pick up where Merlyn had left off.

She stared out of the window at the quiet street below, spotting a couple walking hand in hand and envied their casual existence. Her life was so complicated, she was trying hard not to concern herself with the current state of her life; however, it did not make her true desires disappear and she still craved the freedom that she once had. Before she had a chance to ponder over her thoughts, the door to the office opened and her Editor Mark entered.

'Well, my head Reporter's finally returned...tell me you have somethin' for me?' Mark asked, not believing she had actually turned in.

'Nice to see you too' Gail said sarcastically, unimpressed by his question and went to the couch in the middle of her office to sit down comfortably.

Mark watched as she crossed her legs, then her arms firmly over her chest and knew instantly from his three girls that he had offended her. He had not meant to come across so coldly; however, his staff were not performing as well as they should and he needed a miracle to get his ass out of the firing line. 'I'm sorry, I'm just...'

'Getting it from all angles? I can relate to that' she sighed, thinking of the pressures in her life and not envying Mark having to report to the head of the company Trevor.

'Trevor's just been relentless! He's sayin' we're not reportin' real news and wants me to look at letting some people go, to light a fire up everyone elses ass' Mark sighed and ran his hand through his hair in agitation.

Gail laughed and shook her head at the unreasonable demand of Trevor. She had a few dealings with him when she got serious with Lucas and even goaded the man into contributing to her Goat Town project; however, she had managed to avoid him since then, not wanting to waste her time on someone so pompous. 'Trinity has the lowest crime rate in the state, how are we supposed to report real news when there isn't any?' she asked in disbelief.

'Take a gun to my head and put me outta my misery, that'd do it' Mark laughed, then sat down on her desk and regarded her suspiciously. 'Are you alright bein' here in your condition? The last thing I need is the Sheriff on my back due to his wife feelin' under pressure'

Gail rolled her eyes at the comment, then stood up and regarded him confidently. 'You think any of your other Reporters have their fingers in at least 3 active stories right now?...Let me worry about my husband and you reassure Trevor that he'll get his story' she advised and smiled when Mark gave her a relieved hug before rushing out of her office to let her get on with her work.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Lucas drove down the quiet streets of his Town with Caleb in the front passenger seat, pondering over what they should do. His residents were either in work or in the Town centre picking up bits for their fourth of July celebrations, leaving him to roam free with his son. The fact that Ben had taken Luke freed them up for a more colourful day and he was trying to decide what would better suit his needs. After long consideration Lucas let out a low sigh, then turned to Caleb and nudged him gently.

Caleb turned his attention from the empty park that he had been watching as they drove by, to his Father and stared at him blankly. When Lucas just nudged him again he became confused and regarded him suspiciously. 'I do somethin'?' he asked confused.

Lucas looked out at the road before him when Caleb finally gave him his attention and surveyed there surroundings. 'Where'd you wanna go?' he asked casually, ignoring the boys question.

Caleb watched his Father intently, unsure of what he wanted him to say and continued to be baffled by his sudden behaviour. 'I dunno, I ain't in charge of this patrol' he stated and glanced around their surroundings like his Father was.

'Alright but say you where in charge, what would you wanna do?' Lucas asked and glanced at Caleb expectantly.

Caleb let out a small laugh at the strange question, then saw his Father was serious and inhaled deeply. 'Fishin' I guess' he shrugged.

'Nah, you're not listenin' properly. If you were in charge of Trinity like me, where would you go and what would you do?...I mean somethin' fun that might mess with a little with a person or two, give 'em somethin' to learn for the future' Lucas advised excitedly and waited patiently for his answer.

Caleb slouched back in his seat and pondered over the question for a moment, then smiled to himself and sat up straight. 'Rose's Mom, she don't like you see...' he started.

'Rose's Mom it is' Lucas interrupted, not requiring Caleb to explain and put his foot down on the gas pedal to get this show on the road.

* * *

Gail sat comfortably on a large bench facing the Trinity river, with Christie lounging beside her. She crossed her legs and leaned back on the bench, then took a sip of her latte as Christie filled her in on the office gossip that she had missed.

'So let me get this straight, Danielle's running around with Mike, Paul has a flask of whiskey hidden in his bottom drawer and can't get through an hour without taking a swig and Sarah's shacking up with Doug from the mail room?...I have been out of it for a while haven't I?' she laughed and touched Christie's arm affectionately.

'See, this is what you miss when you hide yourself away in that strange Wicca Store. What keeps you fascinated in that place anyway?' Christie asked curiously, taking advantage of actually having her friend around to talk to.

Gail shrugged and took another sip of her latte. 'You know, this and that...it's an intriguing little place' she advised, not giving away the fact that it was Lucas' Mom's sanctuary.

Christie stared at her suspiciously for a moment, then took a long sip of her cappuccino and touched Gail's stomach gently. 'A second one huh? How'd you feel about that?' she asked, knowing her friend never actually envisioned herself with one child let alone two.

'You mean how am I going to manage with yet another child that I didn't want? Technically it's my third if you class Caleb' Gail sighed and stared down the pier at the people all around who were watching her.

'How could I forget the original kin who got you stranded here?' Christie said sarcastically, trying to hide her irritation at her friends situation. 'Seriously, you barely work as it is and I've been your friend long enough to know your total lack of interest in being a stay at home Mom'

'We have been through a lot together haven't we?' Gail smiled, then turned her attention back to her friend and touched her knee reassuringly. 'Maybe I'll just do what you do and palm my children off on an unsuspecting man who doesn't know how to say no' she laughed, still not able to believe that Christie had convinced Billy to take Lucy to work with him everyday.

'He's a Doctor and has better cover than I do' Christie stated defensively, then laughed when she heard herself. 'He is really good though, I wish I'd have known before'

Gail sensed Christie was thinking about her two previous miscarriages and her past relationship, so she squeezed her knee hard to bring her away from her demons. 'You have him now and you're in the safest Town in the state, probably in the country, so just relax' she advised reassuringly.

'Unless I'm a tourist' Christie added and watched Gail's reaction carefully.

Gail sensed the trap and shook her head in disbelief. 'Well unfortunately you're not, otherwise I would've had a great story to cover' she joked, choosing not to react badly to the statement.

Christie laughed and nudged her friend playfully. 'I can't believe you told Mark that you'd have a story so soon, have you even got anything in the pipeline?'

'Have I hell but I had to tell him something' Gail laughed and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration at the pressure she had put herself under. She was good at her job; however, her relationship to the Sheriff of Trinity had dried up a lot of her old sources.

Christie sensed the stress creeping up inside of her and stood up, then stretched her legs casually. 'You're Gail Buck, the Step Mother of this damn Town. You have access to things you wouldn't normally, a Reporters dream...Use your pull with Adam to get something if it comes to it, people are interested in the election you know?'

'People are really just interested in my husband and what he get's up to. The fact that he's invested in this election is the only reason they're paying attention and I won't use Lucas to get a story, or Adam for that matter' Gail advised, still keeping her integrity no matter who she was married to.

Christie held out her hand to her friend and assisted her up, then linked her arm in hers and began walking down the pier slowly. 'So what will the almighty Gail Buck find to win the day?' she asked curiously.

Gail knew what people were interested in at this time of year, she just refused to allow herself to go there. 'That's the question on everybody's lips' she replied sarcastically, then pushed her stress away and allowed herself to enjoy the fresh air with her friend.

* * *

Caleb stared at the small Boutique Store through the passenger side of Lucas' navy blue Crown Victoria. Part of him was anxious at the thought of being here and he was unsure of what the purpose of their visit was; however, the other part of him sensed the mischief in his Father and was excited.

'Do you know this place?' Lucas asked casually, sensing his boy's excitement.

'I've seen Gail holdin' bags with that name on it' Caleb signalled towards the building.

'You know what else it is don't you?' Lucas asked knowingly.

Caleb thought for a moment, then subconsciously licked his lips. 'Rose's Moms work' he said quietly, as though the woman Could hear him from all the way out here.

Lucas smiled as he sensed his son's excitement take over his anxiety, then opened his door and signalled for Caleb to follow him out of the car. 'Atta boy, there's hope for you yet' he joked, then casually walked towards the Boutique with his son in tow.

He had thought long and hard after Caleb decided what they were going to do. Lucas was going to ease the boy gently into the Buck family traditions previously; however, as he had become distracted with other things and neglected Caleb's darkness for so long, he decided that this was the perfect time to throw him in feet first and provide the boy with a different target to focus on, who was far separated from his home life.

'She won't like that I'm here' Caleb stated, making sure to stay behind his Father.

'In my experience son, women don't look at little boys when I'm around' Lucas smirked smugly, then entered the Boutique confidently and began slowly reviewing the clothes that were out for display. Gail sometimes shopped here when she wanted a taste of her old life, liking that they stocked clothes from out of state. He focused on Caleb's subconscious and delivered the information without opening his mouth, then smiled when the boy acknowledged receipt.

'You're far from home Sheriff, is there somethin' I can assist you with?' Rose's Mother asked him with a nervous excitement, unsure why the man of her dreams would wander into her place of work.

Lucas put on his most charming smile and regarded her courteously. 'What a pleasant view to brighten my day' he said warmly, putting on his best southern gentleman drawl. 'I wasn't aware someone so beautiful worked in such an out of the way place like this'

Rose's Mother laughed giddily and smoothed down her dress. 'A girl has to get the pennies where she can' she joked and pushed her chest up to show off her full figure, 'What brings you to this neck of the woods Sheriff?'

Lucas' smile widened when he sensed that he had her instantly, it always amazed him how some women could disregard their values and throw themselves at him knowing that he was a married man with young children. 'My wife may be in need of some new clothes soon and I wanted to pick her up somethin' special, preferably somethin' uncomfortable that's easily removed. Can you help me with that Ms Gardener?' he asked teasingly and shot her a playful wink.

Rose's Mother ran her hand over her chest subconsciously and licked her lips, unable to hide her desire for this Adonis. All the men she had been with were nothing like the man before her and he lit a fire inside her that she had never felt before. 'Abby, call me Abby' she advised and inhaled deeply, in an attempt to control her urges. 'I heard about your wife's condition, I guess congratulations are in order'

Lucas licked his lips as he looked her up and down slowly, then bit his bottom lip teasingly. 'What can I say? We both have certain urges that have to be fulfilled on a daily basis, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner' he laughed, then glanced at Caleb to ensure he was paying attention.

Caleb was confused at the way his Father was addressing Rose's Mother and had a feeling that Gail would not be impressed by this behaviour; however, he sensed how relaxed Rose's Mother was and realised that his Father's uncharacteristic behaviour towards a woman who was not Gail was causing that change in her.

Lucas sensed Caleb's slow understanding and nodded proudly towards him. Abby had started to lead him to the lingerie, ignoring Caleb's presence and Lucas was again baffled at the behaviour of a woman who had a child close to Caleb's age.

'These are our new editions, I think Mrs Buck purchased that one last week' Abby said, signalling to a dark red lacy bra and panties set.

'Yeah, we got a little use out of that one straight away' Lucas smirked and nodded admiringly at the set.

Abby blushed at the comment and felt the fire inside her begin to rise. 'You wasted no time there then' she joked nervously, trying to hide her desire for him.

Lucas came up beside her and leaned in close. 'Oh we never do...why waste time when there's so much fun to have? You only live once and should grab what you want with both hands' he whispered charmingly.

Abby stared deep into his eyes and felt herself become lost. To her there was only him in the room, no one else and she willed him to touch her with his strong hands. When she felt his hand brush against her arm gently, she let out a low moan and leaned into him slightly. 'I think you'd get some use out of this' she said quietly, reaching for a black lace set with fish neck stockings.

Lucas inhaled deeply and tangled his fingers in the stockings, then stretched the fabric and watched admiringly as it sprang back into place. 'My love does like her stilettos' he smiled, forgetting his intention with Abby for a moment, then gave himself a mental shake and stared deeply into Abby's eyes.

'Gail would like this' Caleb interrupted and held up a short peach lace sundress, not liking his Fathers behaviour and being unable to allow it to continue any longer.

Lucas sensed Caleb's disapproval and shot him an exasperated look, before turning back to Abby. 'We'll take the dress and that black set...why don't you pick somethin' nice for yourself before you ring it through' he suggested and smiled when she began looking in the lingerie section herself, accepting his offer.

'Gail wouldn't like this' Caleb whispered disapprovingly.

'I don't like this son, but this was your choice and I'm only leadin' the way for you' Lucas advised, then headed to the till when Abby had chosen something for herself and pulled out a wad of cash from his pants pocket.

* * *

Christie watched the trees go by through the Mustangs front passenger window, then let out a long sigh. They had been driving around for over 40 minutes after they left the Sheriff's Station and their lack of purpose was beginning to become tedious.

'Oh please, what else would you be doing?' Gail asked amused, reading her mind.

'Well I wouldn't be driving around Trinity just hoping for a story to fall into my lap' Christie responded judgmentally and continued staring out of the window.

Gail shot her a confused look, then let out a small laugh. 'That's what you think this is?' she asked in disbelief.

Christie turned towards her friend and regarded her seriously. 'Well it's either that or you're so lost these days that you've forgotten where to begin with a story' she stated, hoping her friend found her way soon.

Gail rolled her eyes at the statement and shook her head. 'Has it been that long since we've been together properly that you've forgotten who I am?' she asked, then turned her attention towards the road. 'I've completed two tasks and I have deal to adhere to, that's all'

'What the hell does that mean?' Christie asked confused, then gripped the dashboard as Gail hit the breaks suddenly and completed a violent u-turn.

Gail spotted the navy blue Crown Victoria instantly and manoeuvred her car so she blocked it's path, disregarding how the move looked to the few residents who were further down the street. 'Do me a favour and watch him bestie' Gail asked playfully and pointed to Caleb in the front passenger seat of the other car, then exited her vehicle and grabbed Lucas' arm when he met her, dragging him towards the back of a near by house.

'Well good afternoon to you too Mrs Buck' Lucas smiled, as she pushed him against the side of the house and ran her hands up his chest slowly.

'Two tasks down and you were nowhere to be found...that's just inconsiderate Sheriff' she mock scolded and trailed her hands down his stomach.

Lucas inhaled deeply, remembering their deal and licked his lips expectantly. 'I didn't say I'd make it easy for you to stick to our deal, where's the fun in that?' he asked playfully, then pulled her to him for a passionate kiss.

Gail savoured the taste of his tongue in her mouth, then pulled away slightly and began unzipping his pants. 'The kiss is one, due to how long it's taken for me to find you...let's get on with the other' she said teasingly, then got down on her knees and gently released his manhood.

Lucas let out a loud moan as she took him in her mouth without hesitation and glanced around the area to ensure they were not being watched. It was not like his love to be so brazen with their unions; however, he liked her style and her lack of consideration for whoever's house this was excited him.

Gail felt him grow larger in her mouth and smiled, she was happy that he was allowing her to get away with this act for the two tasks she was able to complete. Although she loved the affect she had on him, she did not have enough time in the day to do all that she wanted to do; therefore, she was going to make this quick, regardless of how he he liked to prolong their pleasure.

Lucas wrapped her hair in his hand and pulled it gently above her head, to enable him to watch her work. She was exquisite and the sight of her on her knees pleasuring him caused his urges to run wild. When she picked up her pace, he gripped her hair tighter in an attempt to slow her down; however, she was not fazed and continued to rush. Lucas was about to protest when she pulled his foreskin down carefully and ran her tongue over his tip teasingly, before taking him fully into her mouth and sucking hard. He felt his climax rising and cursed her for knowing exactly what to do to make him finish when she wanted.

Gail continued to control the act and smiled when she heard his satisfied moans, then swallowed his fluid as he exploded in her mouth. She sensed he was not happy with how this had played out and placed both hands on his cheeks, then kissed him passionately. 'Next time be available, I'm not on your timetable today no matter what cruel or unusual thing you're up to' she advised, then slapped his behind playfully and started back to the street.

'Where'd you think you're goin'?' he asked in disbelief, confused at her sudden departure.

'To work...take care of our boy' she warned, then headed back towards her car and rushed off with Christie.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Merlyn sat on the large new couch that had just been delivered to her place in Goat Town and smiled happily to herself. Her cousin had informed her that she was not longer to refer to this place as her Mother's sanctuary, Merlyn owned the property and had decided that this was her calling in life; therefore, this was now her Haven.

It was strange being fully in charge of something so important, she was scared of messing up; however, she was also excited at the challenge and the faith that people were putting in her. She was used to Gail's faith, but Adam had been a huge supporter in helping her get this place up and running. The candidate for Mayor was a breath of fresh air compared to the corrupt people in power here and she was taken aback by his genuine generosity.

'Right, the beds have been ordered and my wife wants to help by knitting some blankets. We need to discuss the kitchen situation and what you're doin' with this quiet little one in the corner' Adam advised, smiling at the young girl eating a sandwich sat with her legs crossed on the floor.

Merlyn glanced at the girl in the corner and smiled. 'Well she won't leave and I have no idea who she belongs to, so I've just been feedin' and waterin' her' she shrugged, unsure what else to do with the girl.

Adam nodded, thinking about his own Daughters and what he would do if they ever ended up like this, it reaffirmed his believe that he was doing the right thing in focusing his attention on this place.

The front door opening caught all of their attention and they turned towards the sound, smiling when Gail entered with Christie.

'This place is really coming along' Gail noted, glancing around the freshly painted entrance area admiringly.

'It's nice to see you're actually fully committing to something' Christie said cattily to Merlyn, then shot her a playful wink.

Gail disregarded the adults and walked slowly towards the corner, kneeling down in front of the young girl. 'Are you ready to tell me your name yet?' she asked sweetly, smiling warmly at her.

The girl crossed her arms over her knees and hid her face, attempting to hide from the attention.

Gail recognised the desire to become invisible from her days in the care system and shook her head in disgust at whatever had happened to this poor girl. 'It's alright, you're safe now and if this place isn't comfortable enough, I might just take you home with me' she joked and held out a chocolate bar, then ruffled the foil to get the girls attention.

The young girl looked at her instantly when she heard the sound, then quickly took the chocolate bar and smiled at the unexpected gift.

'You're resorting to bribery?' Christie asked in disbelief.

'I'm giving a young traumatised girl some chocolate' Gail said disapprovingly at the comment, then gently stroked the girls tatty hair and carefully stood up.

'We should call someone about her' Adam said, concerned that they were keeping someones child hostage and how this would look for his campaign.

'You mean like the people who have reported their Daughter missing? Oh wait, no-ones done that' Gail said sarcastically and sat down beside Merlyn, disregarding Ada and Christie. 'How are you doing?'

Merlyn placed her hand on her cousins knee and smiled. 'I'm actually doin' somethin' that I want so I'm great' she beamed, still reeling over her excitement of fixing up this place.

'Well Gail's not so great after having to pick up your slack at the newspaper' Christie chimed in.

'But I'm on it and am so proud of your drive with this place. I wish there was somewhere like this when I was younger' Gail sighed, attempting to put the thought of her parents behind her and focus on the tasks at hand.

Before she could stop herself Merlyn hugged her cousin, she was one of the few people that could truly understand her pain and she felt for her at this time of year.

Gail allowed her cousin to embrace her for a moment, then gently pushed her off. She was about to question the unexpected action when she felt small hands wrap around her leg and a head rest carefully on her knee, she looked down confused and smiled when she saw it was the young girl embracing her.

Gail knew all too well how important a little bit of genuine kindness could be to a child, due to her childhood being taken when she was growing up in questionable foster homes. Clearly this little girl was no stranger to hardship and part of her wanted to pry into her little unguarded mind to find out what had happened; however, she would not take this type of shortcut like her husband would.

'Well, look at this' Christie said, amazed at the sudden affection of the young girl and regarded her curiously.

As soon as the young girl realised that she had been noticed, she rushed back to the corner of the room and held her head tightly to her knees in an attempt to be invisible again.

Gail let out a small sigh at Christie's intrusion in the moment and placed her hands on her knees, then got up slowly. 'I have to go, I've got a lot of things to cover while my boy's are busy elsewhere' she stated in exasperation.

Christie stared at her friend, confused at why she appeared to be mad at her and approached her cautiously. 'I thought you'd want an interview with Adam about his project here, that'd be your story done' she whispered, unsure of why her friend wanted to leave.

'Firstly, the project is M's not Adam's' Gail corrected her abruptly, unable to hide her irritation. 'Secondly, I already told you all that I'm not covering this election. I won't use my professional position to sway votes, regardless of what underhanded tactics my husband may use'

Christie was used to her friends moral high ground but she thought it was a mistake in this instance, especially when she was under pressure to deliver urgently. 'You have the inside scoop here Gail, just use it...It's an easy play and you can regroup to get yourself in a better position later' she advised and touched her friends wrist gently.

'When have you ever known me to take the easy option?' Gail asked in disbelief, then let out a small laugh. 'You've got the inside scoop now, you run with it' she suggested and turned towards the front door.

'And what are you gonna do?' Christie asked, frustrated by her friends lack of ability to make things easier for herself.

'Pray' Gail said sarcastically as she opened the front door wide and waited for a moment, then smiled and shot Merlyn a wink when the young girl rushed out of the property and waited for her at the bottom of the steps.

'That woman could lead a congregation into a fire without even batting an eye lid' Adam stated in awe.

'And they'd probably thank her for the privilege' Christie added, unsure how Gail had managed to get the girl to follow her without giving an instruction.

* * *

Lucas strolled down the Pier holding Luke close to his chest, with Caleb walking beside them. He knew Caleb did not approve of his methods; however, the boy appeared to accept what was required and followed instruction well. When he spotted their intended target sitting at a small table, he smiled devilishly and leaned in closer to Caleb. 'You ready son?' he asked casually.

Caleb felt a knot in his stomach when he saw Rose sat with her Mother and swallowed hard. 'I guess' he shrugged, unsure of what his Father was going to do.

Lucas nodded proudly as he led the way to the table and sat down carefully with Luke. 'Good evenin' ladies, you both look fine on this scorchin' day' he smiled charmingly and watched as both Mother and Daughter fell instantly for him.

Caleb did not like that they were here without Gail present, suspecting that there would be bad consequences if she found out about their activities; however, that would be for his Father to sort out and he was only following orders. 'How was School?' he asked Rose, focusing on her as she had a calming effect of him.

Rose smiled radiantly at Caleb, she had missed him today and was happy when her Mother had told her that they were invited to dine with their present company. Her Mother was well and truly taken by the Sheriff, meaning Rose was free to talk to Caleb without being monitored and she would take full advantage of that. 'It was a big pile of dung' she said jokingly as she pulled a funny face, then laughed with her friend. 'You do much with the Sheriff?'

'Bit's and bobs' Caleb shrugged and glanced up at his Father, who appeared to be keeping Rose's Mother fixed in conversation. 'When we're done with this, you wanna go somewhere?' he asked, feeling a sudden urge to get her away from her Mother.

Rose glanced at her Mother, who was pushing her chest further up in what appeared to be an attempt to impress the married Sheriff, then rolled her eyes at her indecent behaviour. 'I thought you'd be grounded or somethin' after you missed the play' she stated, assuming that was why the Sheriff had to watch him today.

Caleb shook his head and took a sip of the soda that a waitress had just placed in front of him. 'Gail sorted it and let my Daddy keep me off School so I could help him' he advised, disregarding the fake laughter of his Father in response to a bad joke Rose's Mother had told.

Rose shook her head slowly and leaned in closer to her friend. 'Does Gail know we're all here?' she asked curiously, liking Gail and not wanting to do anything to upset her. She was not a stupid girl and she knew how this may look to onlookers.

'My wife's awful busy today, so she's left us boys to fend for ourselves' Lucas answered Rose's question casually, then shot her Mother a playful wink. 'We're lucky you two lovely ladies decided to keep us company'

'In a heartbeat Sheriff' Abby smiled and shot her Daughter a disapproving glance, as she had taken the Sheriff's attention off of her.

Rose stared wide eyed at the Sheriff, then glanced down at her hands nervously.

'It was just a question. My Step Mom might not look kindly on this' Caleb stated abruptly, unable to allow Rose to feel uncomfortable.

'You mean your cousin? Your actual parents died a while ago didn't they?' Abby asked coldly, unable to hide her dislike for the boy who insisted on distracting her Daughter but unable to scold him outright in front of the Sheriff.

'No, he's my son and we're all one big happy family' Lucas answered sharply, taking control of the conversation then forcing a charming smile for Abby.

Abby smiled warmly at the Sheriff, feeling her heart melt when he addressed her. The fact that he had taken Caleb in and thought of him as his own showed how much of a true gentleman he was, something that was becoming increasingly hard to find these days. 'Does your wife mind you bein' here Sheriff?' she asked, choosing to acknowledge the elephant in the room so to speak.

'Call me Lucas, we're all friends here' he said smoothly and licked his lips after taking a sip of his drink. 'My wife and I have a special relationship, we fit together so well that she knows no-one could tempt me from her side' he advised, knowing how certain women liked a challenge.

Abby smiled mischievously, she had nothing against Gail and when she was still Gail Emory she had a lot of time for her; however, the two women were not friends and she began to wonder what it would take to tempt this Adonis to her corner.

'Oh a hell of a lot Darlin'' Lucas laughed, reading her mind and signalling for Caleb to leave with Rose to allow them some privacy. 'Now, why ain't there no Mr Right here? From what I can see someone's missin' out on a whole host of things' he teased and shifted Luke to his other knee so he could lean in closer to her.

Abby felt a wave of heat flow through her and gulped hard when he came closer. 'Well Sher...I mean Lucas' she smiled and shifted in her seat, 'Rose's Daddy left a long time ago and I ain't found anyone suitable to keep up with me'

Lucas stared deep into her eyes, sensing her desire for him and leaned in further. 'You have a lot of skills Abby?' he asked, amused at her attempt to impress him.

'A lot more than most women, including housewives' she said playfully, then bit her bottom lip playfully as she gazed into his eyes.

Lucas nodded in appreciation as he sat back in his chair and looked her up and down slowly. 'Oh I bet you have Darlin'' he smiled charmingly and allowed this to play out as he had expected. He was not into this woman in the slightest; however, sacrifices had to be made to ensure that his son was able to keep his darkness focused away from his family.

* * *

Gail lit the last candle required to provide illumination in the old Wicca Store, then turned towards the young girl and smiled at her warmly. The girl had accompanied her to various locations and waited obediently in her car, without saying a word. There was something about her that reminded her of a vulnerability that she once had as a child and she stroked her stomach subconsciously, not wanting the same tragedy to befall her unborn child.

Gail was still concerned about what the girl growing inside of her would have to endure, knowing the Buck bloodline appeared solely of men. She would protect her Daughter at all costs, regardless of who she would have to go up against and that protective instinct was focused on the young girl in front of her right now, who was finishing off the burger and fries that Gail had bought her.

'This place is my sanctuary, just like the shelter is Merlyn's...the secrets hidden here are just a part of what draws me to this place, my husband could never understand the extent that a strong Mother would go to when it came to protecting her child' Gail said out loud to no one in particular, knowing Lucas' Mother had hidden things here out of insurance against Malcolm and been unable to use them before her untimely death.

The young girl looked up from her fries for a moment, then began glancing around the large room curiously.

'When he gifted me this place, I don't think he truly knew what I could find' she continued, pacing the room slowly 'His Mother kept a lot of things hidden, some things that I've chosen not to pry into in an attempt to keep my marriage on the right track, but there are other things that seem important now and if we're to survive I'm going to have to dig deep'

The young girl watched as she stroked her stomach protectively, then got up from her seated position and approached her cautiously. There was something about the woman before that made her feel at ease and it had been a long time since she had been in the presence of an adult that could do that. She sensed her sorrow now and did not like how it made her feel, with the woman being so kind to her.

'What are we going to do?' Gail asked sadly to the space around her, her expression showing concern. 'Caleb's changing, I can feel it and I'm too far in now to just run. He's the reason I'm here, the reason for everything and I can't just leave him, but I won't give you up either'

The young girl watched as the woman held back her tears, she too would not allow herself to cry in front of anyone and was glad when she saw that she was not the only one that worked through the pain. She felt an urge to hold the woman tight and not let go, sensing they shared a deep sorrow; however, she remained a short distance away and continued to watch her curiously.

Gail let out a long breath and ran her fingers through her hair. 'How did we get here? From everything I can find, you shouldn't be here and I shouldn't be burdened with whatever comes next' she said to her unborn child, unable to keep her feelings in any longer. 'When did everything get so complicated? I've worked through so much strangeness, I accepted his darkness and homicidal tendencies, I even let Rosemary in and accepted her my crazy urges...Maybe I do need to pray and repent, had my Father have changed and repented his sins towards my Mother then maybe none of this would have turned out the way it had'

'I pray' the young girl interrupted quietly, sensing the nice woman was on the verge of snapping.

Gail was taken out of her distracted state and suddenly remembered that she was not alone. She glanced at the young girl who had moved closer to her, then leaned against a bookcase that she was close to and sighed. 'I used to pray when I was your age and after the fire...I prayed for my parents and for them to come back to me' she advised, sensing a strange connection to the girl and feeling vulnerable with her.

'Did they?' the girl asked with wide hopeful eyes.

Girl had a flashback of her Father in Lucas' Study with Malcolm and let out a small laugh. 'Not in the way that I wanted, but I'd give anything for my Father to show up right now' she answered honestly and felt herself begin to well up at the thought of her parents screams as the Trinity Guardian went up in flames.

The young girl watched as the tears began to fall and the flood gates opened. She could not stop herself from crying at the thought of her own Mother, as she had last seen her in that cold unresponsive state on the floor. It had been a long time since she had been brought back to those thoughts and she was unable to close herself off any longer.

Gail tried to hold back her tears but was unable to do so, her emotions were out of control due to her fear for her unborn Daughter and seeing the young girl break down in front of her did not help her regain control. Gail disregarded her usual standoffish nature and knelt down, then pulled the girl towards her. 'It's all going to be alright' she whispered reassuringly, allowing herself to unleash her own sadness and pent up feelings for this time of year.

The dark figure stood in the shadows watching Gail and the young girl crying together, silently monitoring the situation and choosing to remain hidden while it contemplated it's next move.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Lucas rolled over in the large kingsize bed and reached his arm out to caress his wife; however, his hand was met with a cold empty space. He opened his eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the bright morning light and spotted that Gail had already gotten up. Lucas had grown accustomed to their night time and morning antics, so her lack of presence when he woke up was concerning.

When he returned home with the children last night, Gail had virtually pounced on him as soon as he came through the door and he had to put the children to bed quickly, to allow him to satisfy her urges. There was no indication that anything was wrong, although she was a little more easily persuaded than usual when he thought back to their fun. He rolled his eyes at the sudden realisation that he had been played, then got out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants to enable him to roam freely in an attempt to find out what she was up to.

As he exited the bedroom with Luke in his arms, a strong smell of bacon hit him and he began to wonder if he had gotten his love's motives wrong. Maybe she just wanted to surprise him with a home cooked breakfast to show how much she appreciated him. 'Or maybe pigs might fly' he laughed to himself in frustration, when his senses awakened and instantly began honing in on an anomaly in his property.

Lucas walked down the stairs carefully, ignoring Luke pulling at his hair playfully then spotted Caleb coming out of his room tiredly. 'Anythin' you need to tell me son?' he asked abruptly, considering what he was sensing may be down to his eldest.

'No Sir' Caleb said shaking his head, then headed down the stairs to join his Father.

Lucas handed Luke to Caleb, unable to ignore his hair pulling any longer and led the way through the Study to the Kitchen. When he entered he let out a long agitated sigh as his eyes rested on a strange young girl sat at the small dining table, eating a large plate of bacon and scrambled eggs. 'We takin' in strays now?' he asked his wife, who had not slaved over a stove to cook them breakfast in months.

'We forgetting our marriage vows and having dinner with other people now?' Gail asked knowingly, hoping that would be enough for him to leave her be.

Lucas let out a small unimpressed laugh, then signalled for Caleb to take Luke to the dining table and left the kitchen abruptly.

Gail ran her hand through her hair in exasperation, she had hoped her distraction last night would have kept her husband asleep for longer and allowed her to get the young girl out of the house before he arose; however, she had no such luck and she sensed his rage radiating off of him from the next room. 'Morning love's' she smiled warmly at her boys, ignoring her husbands behaviour and kissing them both on the forehead. 'There's plenty of food, take what you want but play nice with this girl, she's fragile' she warned Caleb, then headed out of the kitchen and closed the door behind her.

Lucas was pacing the Study and trying to keep his rage under control, he hated unexpected visitors at the best of times and this orphan that his wife had brought home was no exception.

'It got late, I didn't want to bother Merlyn with her so I brought her here. What's the big deal?' Gail asked casually, trying not to allow his current mood to cause a bad reaction from her own darkness.

Lucas laughed in irritation and shook his head, the fact that she did not understand why he was annoyed was making the matter worse. 'This place is our home' he said, forcing a calm tone.

'I know that' Gail advised, watching him carefully.

'And it's sacred' Lucas snapped, then took a deep breath to calm his anger.

'So is our marriage, but you don't see me overreacting to you taking my boys for dinner with another woman' Gail retorted, unable to hide her irritation at him judging her after what he got up to last night.

'Firstly, that dinner was to distract our eldest from your current condition and secondly, you know I'd never cheat on you with Rose's Mom' Lucas said in disbelief of her statement.

Gail let out a small and shook her head. 'I know you wouldn't dare cheat on me full stop, which makes your rendezvous last night even more concerning, especially when you're including our children' she snapped.

'You accusing me of somethin' Mrs Buck?' Lucas asked angrily, raising his voice slightly.

'When I'm accusing you, there'll be no doubt so keep your damn voice down' she said through gritted teeth, not wanting the children to hear them.

Lucas felt his rage rising and chose to let it in, he did not like his intentions being questioned or his home being used as a shelter and he was not about to allow either to go unpunished. 'Alright love, I hear you loud and clear...Caleb!' he called and regarded Gail coldly.

Gail sensed the cogs in his brain working and shook her head in warning. 'Careful now sweetheart, things have been good recently and you don't want to mess with that' she advised, seeing the look of mischief in his eyes.

Caleb came in holding Luke, not wanting the leave him alone with the strange girl. 'I do somethin'?' he asked confused, when he saw the looks on both of his parents faces.

'You've done nothing sweetie, you're the one Buck that I can count on for that' Gail reassured Caleb in a sweet tone and shot Lucas an irritated glance.

Caleb smiled at the comment, then turned towards his Father curiously and waited for further instruction.

'I got a task for you today son, I'm gonna drop you in School for half a day then you're gonna come patrol me' Lucas advised pleasantly and kept his attention on Gail.

'Oh great, so we're making a habit of keeping him from his education? What great parenting Dad' Gail said sarcastically and crossed her arms over her chest in an unimpressed manner.

Lucas' smile grew wider and he held Gail's gaze dominantly. 'You're gonna invite all your friends and whoever else you happen to come across to our fourth of July barbecue...we'll have fireworks, sparklers, a bouncy castle, the lot and it's all courtesy of the woman of the house' he instructed smugly and watched as her demeanour changed.

Gail tensed at the instruction and kept her eyes on her husband, unable to believe his audacity. 'If you think I'm going to pander to this insult then you're hugely mistaken' she said calmly, not to alert Luke to her fury.

Lucas closed the distance between them and leaned in close, still allowing Caleb to hear the conversation. 'Oh you will and you'll be there with bells on Darlin'' he said coldly, 'You're my wife and this issue you have due to your parents stops now. It's time you got over it and performed your duty like a good wife does'

Gail stared at him defiantly for a moment, then sensed the young girl stood nervously at the Kitchen door and just laughed at his hurtful comment. 'Oh I'm the one with issues due to my parents? This torture of a woman who's loyal to you is very befitting of Malcolm soulmate' she accused viscously and stepped closer to him. 'You want to do this to me then fine. I'll get the required things to make your barbecue a success, enough to rival any fourth of July celebration and we can invite the whole damn Town for all I care...but you deal with the consequences of what comes after' she warned and stood her ground for a moment longer before placing a soft kiss on Caleb's cheek to show that she was not mad it him for what Lucas required him to do, then took the young girls hand in hers and lead her out of the house towards her car.

'That was cold' Caleb said quietly, unimpressed with how his Father had treated Gail.

'That's how you keep a woman in line' Lucas advised then ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, before hitting an antique vase that was next to him with force so it shattered against the wall and headed back to his bedroom to get dressed.

* * *

Merlyn sat with Christie sipping a large latte at their favourite Coffee Shop opposite the Sheriff's Station, waiting for her cousin to show. It was not like Gail to be late; however, as she had not turned up yet, it gave Merlyn a chance to witness the fourth of July excitement she had missed, due to being cooped up in Goat Town.

'The buzz around here is unreal, it was always a great time in Charleston but experiencing the love in a small Town like this is amazing' Christie advised in awe, as she glanced at the residents picking up their final bits for the big day tomorrow.

'The buzz and love can go fuck itself' Gail swore uncharacteristically and sat down on a spare chair, waiting for the young girl to catch up to her with her toffee apple.

Both Christie and Merlyn glanced at each other with wide eyes, then Christie decided to take the lead. 'Rough night at home?' she asked cautiously.

'Don't even start' Gail warned, then signalled the waitress over and requested a hot chocolate for her and the young girl. 'Do we want marshmellows?' she asked her young new partner casually.

'Yes please' the girl smiled, then continued eating her toffee apple happily.

Merlyn sat upright in her chair and smiled. 'You got her to talk?' she asked amazed.

'I got her to talk, eat properly and to unload some of her problems' Gail forced a smile and nudged the girl playfully.

Merlyn sensed her cousins underlying stress and leaned over the table, then took her hand in hers. 'Seriously, what's wrong?' she asked concerned, disregarding everyone else at the table.

The young girl looked up at Gail worried, so she smiled warmly down at her and stroked her cheek gently. 'I'm fine, everything's fine so just leave me alone' she ordered Merlyn, but did not take her eyes off of the young girl.

Merlyn let out a long sigh and shook her head, the only person that could cause the strong hurt she was sensing from her cousin was Lucas and she made a mental note to visit him when they were finished to see what he had done.

'Drop it' Gail ordered more sternly as she read her mind and turned her attention to Christie. 'You get your story from Adam?' she asked, trying to change the subject.

'I did, but Mark won't publish it until he has your story. Are you any further along?' Christie asked, sensing it was best to allow her friend to distract herself from what was bothering her.

'I am and it'll be published tomorrow ready for this damn holiday' she said, then smiled pleasantly at the waitress when she brought the hot chocolates. 'Now be careful Stacey, it's going to burn' she advised the young girl and winked at Merlyn when she shot her a shocked glance, as she had found out the girls name.

'Wow you really do have a gift, maybe you should be doin' what I'm doin'' Merlyn suggested.

'Oh I'm no saint, being with the man I married proves that' she joked bitterly.

Merlyn shot Christie a curious glance, then shook her head to indicate they should not comment. 'Well you've saved me a job in gettin' her to open up, so what can I do to assist you?' she asked, sensing her cousin needed help.

Gail let out a small laugh, then shook her head in irritation. 'I need to concentrate on my story, but I have have to get all of these' she shrugged and signalled Stacey to hand Merlyn the list from her pocket.

Merlyn smiled warmly at Stacey, then read the list carefully. 'Wait what? Fireworks, sparklers, a barbecue, fresh meat, treats, beer...a bouncy castle?' she asked in disbelief.

Gail let out a long breath and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to keep her anger under control. 'My husband's throwing a fourth of July barbecue...you're all invited with your partners by the way' she shrugged and ate a marshmallow that was floating in her hot chocolate.

Merlyn laughed loudly, then realised Gail was not joking and shook her head disapprovingly. 'That inconsiderate, evil piece of sh...'

'Now now, that's no way to talk about your cousin's husband and our beloved Sheriff' Christie interrupted, choosing to keep her dislike for the man out of this as it would only make matters worse for her friend. 'We'll sort this, you focus on your story...there'll be plenty of alcohol and good company to distract you tomorrow, so just put it out of your mind and let us look after you for a change'

Gail smiled at both of the women thankfully and let out a sigh of relief. 'Alright, well in that case me and Stacey are going to head into the office to get this show on the road' she advised, then downed her drink and signalled for Stacey to follow her.

Merlyn smiled at Gail as she left, then shook her head in irritation at Lucas. 'Just when I think he can't get any worse, he pulls this stunt' she said in disbelief to herself.

'Well hopefully Gail will realise who she's really married to and get out before it's too late' Christie added, hating the way her friend was being treated.

'Oh she's fully aware and there's no chance in hell of that' Merlyn let out a small exasperated laugh, then finished her coffee and followed Christie to her car.

* * *

Lucas stood outside of the Boutique and stared at the display in the window blankly. He had been frustrated since his earlier encounter with Gail and he was finding it hard to shift the strange feeling that had come over him since their fight.

'It's remorse' Caleb said knowingly, reading his mind.

'Remorse is for babies son, that ain't what this is' Lucas replied calmly.

'So you don't feel bad for upsettin' Gail and forcin' her out in the open on the anniversary of her parents deaths?...I would' Caleb shrugged, then took a step back when he saw the dark look his Father was giving him.

'Let's just focus on the task at hand, you see her?' Lucas asked bluntly, wondering whether Caleb remembered his previous training.

Caleb could not see Rose's Mother, but he sensed her presence. He closed his eyes instinctively and focused hard on her picture in his mind, he felt his whole body becoming warm and smiled when he located her in the small stockroom at the back of the building.

'Alright' Lucas nodded approvingly, reading his mind. 'This is your show son, have at it'

Caleb opened his eyes and stared up at Lucas nervously, he had an idea of what his Father wanted him to do and he did not want to disappoint him; however, apart from a few scoldings, Rose's Mother had not done anything to him really.

'Think about the baby, how you feel about the pregnancy...you think you're gonna be important when my new child is born?' Lucas asked knowingly, deciding not to reveal the sex just yet and sensing Caleb's fears.

Caleb stared up at Lucas confused, then his eyes turned dark at the thought of the new arrival and he felt his darkness rising. How could he still be important? There was yet another pure addition to Lucas' and Gail's family, he could not compete with that. What happens when Gail's children grow up and she wants them to be the true heirs like his dark friend told him? Will his Father step in or will he try to satisfy Gail?

'That's good son, let it all out...now think of how Abby treats you, how she don't think you're good enough to be near that pretty little blonde of hers. What happens when she pulls rank and bans you from seein' her, you gonna step aside? Let it all go and focus your hatred on that stockroom. What do you truly wanna do?' Lucas asked and focused some of his energy on his boy to give him the final push he needed.

'Burn it all down' Caleb said in a voice unlike his own as he pictured the stockroom lock, then smiled when the door slammed closed and the key on the outside turned. He watched as Rose's Mother dropped the clothes she was holding on the floor and wandered to the door, banging on it when she realised it was locked. He pictured Gail then and thought about what was truly bothering him, his smile widened when the clothes Rose's Mother had dropped suddenly caught fire.

'Atta boy...keep goin'' Lucas whispered proudly, feeling some of his own frustration with the incident earlier disappearing.

Caleb allowed his Fathers encouragement to seep in and continued with his task, he watched as all of the other clothes in the stockroom caught fire and smiled when he heard Rose's Mother scream. Suddenly the fire alarm started howling and it broke through Caleb's concentration.

'Alright son, now the real action starts' Lucas smiled and nudged Caleb proudly.

* * *

Gail had just finished typing up her story when a bolt of pain travelled through her stomach to her brain, she let out a loud agonising moan and banged her fist on her desk hard. When Stacey rushed towards her and held her arm protectively, Gail forced a reassuring smile and stood up carefully. Something was terribly wrong, she could feel it. At first she thought it was her baby and stroked her stomach protectively; however, her little girl was still there so she closed her eyes and linked in with Gideon's subconscious, sensing he was not too far from her current position.

Gideon was stood on the corner of Fifth and Main watching his intended target from a distance. He had taken to this observation recently when he sensed his Master was in danger and he had been following his target discreetly, to ensure his targets bad feelings stayed clear of his Master.

Gail inhaled deeply and smiled when she sensed her guardian always trying to protect her, then her smile faded when she realised who he was watching. She observed through Gideon that the target was concentrating on a building she frequented often and shook her head in disbelief when the fire alarms started.

Gail opened her eyes abruptly and grabbed her bag, then rushed out of the office with Stacey following closely beside her.

* * *

Caleb excited the burning building dragging Rose's Mother carefully behind him, he had not wanted to enter in the first place; however, his Father convinced him that he was strong enough to see this task through and he was happy he had managed to come out unscathed. When he entered the sidewalk, fire engines and an ambulance sped to a halt not far from him. He allowed them to take control of the situation and walked confidently towards his Father.

Lucas smiled proudly at his boy, impressed with how easily he followed instruction. He patted Caleb on the back affectionately and turned to address him full on like a man; however, the boy was pulled from his grasp abruptly.

'What the hell were you thinking!' Gail shouted, as she pulled Caleb towards her and checked him over frantically.

Caleb felt a sudden wave of guilt in her presence and glanced at his Father scared.

'The boy's a hero, he saw the fire and ran in there unattended to ensure there were no victims...he saved a life Darlin'' Lucas said bluntly, unimpressed at her interruption.

'Saved a life or caused the fire?' Gail asked knowingly, staring at Lucas with disdain.

Caleb began to shake uncontrollably at the thought of Gail knowing what he had done; however, he relaxed when she pulled him to her and hugged him tight.

'Shhhh, it's going to be alright' she reassured him, unsure of what to make of it all but feeling a strong urge to protect him.

Lucas watched as her instinct was to protect his eldest, not to hold his actions against him and the strange feeling that he was experiencing earlier flared up again. 'He needs to let out his pent up frustrations, you know how that is love' he explained knowingly.

'I couldn't care less about what you're doing...' Gail snapped then stood up and leaned into him so outsiders could not hear, '...but if you truly think that Caleb Temple being linked to two fires in the past few years isn't going to cause suspicion on the grapevine, then you've well and truly lost your mind sweetheart'

Caleb began to shake again, remembering what it was like when his friends found out that he had burnt down his home and did not want to be treated like an outcast again.

Gail let out a long sigh and stared up at the sky in exasperation, trying to figure out a way to get ahead of this without using her husbands tactics. She held up her finger to silence Lucas when she sensed he was about to talk, then rummaged in her bag for a tape recorder. 'Alright, I don't even want to know what this was really about, that's between Father and Son and I'll respect that but let's get your name in the paper in a positive way for a change' she smiled at Caleb reassuringly and took him to one side before the firemen could interview him.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

The fourth of July was finally here and all was quiet in the Buck Mansion. Christie and Merlyn had come through with all the requirements on the list that Gail had provided them and Gail wanted no part of it, choosing to sit on the side porch alone while her family ate breakfast in the Kitchen and focused on her tasks for the day.

Lucas waited patiently for Caleb to fetch him the Trinity Guardian newspaper, which had been delivered to their doorstep. Gail had refused to talk to him after the incident at the Boutique and he was unsure of whether she was truly going to assist them, due to her professional integrity. When Caleb handed him the newspaper and sat back down to eat his breakfast, Lucas opened the front page out fully and smiled appreciatively. There was a large headline 'Local Boy Saves Life Of Trapped Woman' and a small picture of Caleb, smiling warmly as Gail had taken his picture, showing there was no doubt that he could be the hero of the piece.

Lucas had not considered how a second fire under Caleb's belt would play out behind closed doors with the gossiping residents of his Town, he had been too focused on assisting the boy in releasing his pent up feelings. He would be more careful next time and would ensure that his wife was kept out of it, sensing her unease at having to assist in their business.

Luke banged on the table loudly, not used to his Mother not being present and began crying for her. Caleb stroked his Brothers cheek reassuringly, then gently picked him up and bounced him on his lap. 'Is she mad at us for yesterday?' he asked and took a large bite of his toast, then gave some to Luke.

Lucas let out a small laugh and sighed. 'She ain't mad at you at all son, apparently you can do no wrong' he advised sarcastically.

'Maybe my Sister's causin' her pain, more likely it's the barbecue though' Caleb shrugged and smiled down at Luke as he snuggled into his chest.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at the comment and regarded his eldest suspiciously. 'I didn't tell you we are expectin' a girl' he stated suspiciously and watched Caleb's reaction carefully.

Caleb shifted uncomfortably in his seat when he realised that he had slipped up, then tried to keep calm. 'You must've, either you or Gail' he lied, hoping his Father could not sense his dishonesty.

Lucas attempted to read the boys mind; however, the strong feeling of unease that was coming from Gail was clouding his mind and he shook his head in frustration. 'We will have a conversation at some point son but for now just eat your breakfast, the hero deserves a good showin' today'' he smiled and continued reading the story, before turning to Gail's second article.

* * *

Merlyn sat with Stacey on a small bench on the Pier, staring out into the water. Stacey had stayed with her and Matt last night, while they awaited the beds to be delivered to her property in Goat Town and she wanted to take the young girl out to get some clean river air.

'Where's Gail?' Stacey asked sadly, hoping the nice woman would have visited her by now.

'She's ensuring you have plenty to eat' Gail advised as she approached the pair, holding a large ice cream in each hand.

'No Luke?' Merlyn asked, not used to seeing her cousin so much without her son.

'I left before they all finished breakfast, I assume my husband is fine with his son's' Gail sighed, trying to hide her bitterness at her situation.

Merlyn nodded, feeling Gail's pain and held up the Trinity Guardian. 'Caleb? You used Caleb as your scoop?' she asked judgmentally, upset that she had not been informed of the fire.

'I saved Caleb's reputation from being tarnished by another fire and believe me, you want no part of whatever that was' Gail stated, before handing the ice creams to Stacey and Merlyn.

Merlyn let out a long sigh and licked the ice cream appreciatively. 'He's not OK is he?' she asked, concerned for her Brother.

'We're both OK and we're working on everything else' Gail advised, trying to reassure her and leaving out how worried she was for her unborn child.

Merlyn sensed Gail was holding something back; however, as it was the anniversary of her parent's deaths she chose not to push her right now. 'Matt liked this little one in the house, he doesn't want me to get her settled at the sanctuary' she smiled at Stacey warmly, but the girl was focused solely on Gail.

'Can I stay with you?' Stacey asked quietly, looking up at Gail hopefully.

'You like my husband, the Sheriff?' Gail asked knowingly.

Stacey shook her head frantically and played with her hands nervously. 'He scary' she said honestly, witnessing the way he tried to control Gail and recognising it from her dead Mothers ex boyfriend.

Gail read her thoughts and let out a small laugh. 'Well you can't stay with me then can you?' she said sarcastically and placed a reassuring hand on the girls shoulder. 'Don't you go worrying about me, I can take care of myself and that man worships the ground I walk on'

'When it suits him' Christie interjected, as she came up on the group with Billy pushing Lucy's buggy beside her.

'It's not in his best interest to challenge me, trust me' Gail advised, then stood up and moved towards her friend.

'He's an ass and you know it, I don't know what else he needs to do to show that to you' Christie snapped unable to hold in her resentment any longer, then walked away from Gail and sat down on the bench with the two girls.

Billy watched her go and shook his head, then laughed when Gail let out a long exasperated sigh. 'She's still gunnin' for him, it's killin' her to hold back because of you' he advised.

'She's used to being on my leash, are you used to hers yet?' Gail asked sarcastically, glancing down at Lucy and smiling warmly.

Billy narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, then let go of the buggy. 'I ain't on anyone's leash...'

'Tell that to the free daycare she's getting from you, I hope she's paying you back appropriately for it' Gail laughed, unable to let Christie's catty comment go.

Billy let out a long sigh, then pushed the buggy towards Gail and started to back off. 'You're lookin' good Gail, it was nice seein' you...I'm gonna go find your husband and start this day off right while you women sort out whatever the hell this is' he said holding his hands up in a surrendering manner, then winked and saluted when Gail rolled her eyes amused at him.

'Where are you going?' Christie called, noticing Billy make a quick exit.

'Apparently to do the day in right with my husband, guess he ain't a house husband just yet' Gail said in her best southern accent and laughed with Merlyn at Christie's look of irritation.

'Well it looks like I'm stuck with you ladies' Christie sighed and smiled when Stacey approached Lucy carefully then began playing gently with her.

'But I'm not stuck with you' Gail said irritated, as she heard the buzz of her mobile telephone and checked the message. 'It appears my husband has learned how to use the mobile telephone I got him for Christmas, he needs to me to pick up a few extra bits for his epic barbecue...You lot might as well head over there without me, I won't be too far behind'

Stacey realised Gail was leaving and clung to her leg tight. 'Can I come? Please don't leave me' she pleaded.

Gail glanced at Christie and Merlyn, then stared sweetly into Stacey's eyes. There was something about the girl that reminded her of when she had first lost her parents and she could not bring herself to tell her no. 'Alright, but there's a few stops I need to make then you're going to the barbecue like everyone else' she stated and signalled for the girl to head to her car.

'She's got you wrapped around her little finger' Merlyn advised, amused by how Gail softened around Stacey.

'And I know someone else who she can influence' Gail smiled cunningly and shot Merlyn a wink before following Stacey.

* * *

Lucas stared at the new barbecue that they now owned with disdain and downed the glass of whiskey he was holding. 'Y'all know I ain't goin' near that thing right?' he asked and glanced at his friends who were standing on the opposite side of the barbecue when they burst out into laughter.

'You cook? that'd be a first' Selena laughed, as she sauntered towards Ben, Billy and Lucas then took Billy's beer out of his hand effortlessly.

'How do you get through life without cookin'?' Billy asked, shooting Selena a disapproving glance and reaching into the cooler for another beer.

'Just lucky I guess...women like to take care of me' Lucas shrugged and refilled his glass with whiskey, disregarding Selena.

'Until you screw them over that is' Selena added cattily. 'Surely your perfect little wife should be here to do the cooking, or has something gotten her knickers in a twist'

'A celebration on the anniversary of a parent's death would do that, let alone on both parent's deaths' Rita interjected, hearing the conversation whilst she was looking after the children.

Ben shot Rita a warning glance to stay out of it and drank his beer quietly, hoping not to be dragged into the conversation.

'It's true my wife may be a little sour but don't you worry Teacher, our relationship is stronger than ever' Lucas advised, taking another drink of his whiskey and pushing down his anger at both women's comments.

'If that's really true, then where is she? When will the lovely Mrs Buck be joining us?' Selena asked sarcastically, ignoring Billy's whisper to stand down.

Lucas regarded Selena coldly for a moment, then let out a small laugh and signalled towards their incoming guests. 'It's none of your concern Teacher, now this is a party so let's get it started' he ordered, signalling for Billy to take over the barbecuing.

* * *

Gail sat swinging gently on her Uncle Abe's porch swing, while Stacey leaned on her and draped her hand gently over her stomach. She had picked up most of what Lucas required, she just had a few more things to do before heading to the dreaded celebration.

'It's not right Rosie, that boy need's a good hidin'' Abe stated, unhappy at what Lucas was putting his Rosie through.

'Why'd you call her Rosie?' Stacey asked curiously, liking the soothing motion of the porch swing.

Abe regarded her carefully and smiled warmly. 'I just always have, my little Rosie...you remind me of her when she was younger' he advised, as he thought back to Gail when she used to run here after School to visit him and his Martha.

'It's just a nickname' Gail shrugged, choosing not to acknowledge the nickname's resemblance to Rosemary.

'I hope you ain't causin' her no grief youngin', my Rosie should be relaxin' in her condition' Abe said disapprovingly, knowing how much work she had been doing due to her two articles in the newspaper this morning.

'I ain't, I'm just helpin'' Stacey said sweetly and cuddled in closer to Gail.

'You know what would help? If you could look after this ol' fool for me for a little while...it'd give me time to get the rest of my tasks done when I drop you off with Matt so you all can head to the barbecue' Gail advised, happy that Stacey had given her a subtle way in.

Abe sensed her angle and shook his head disapprovingly. 'I ain't no babysitter Rosie'

'Except when you babysit Luke?' Gail asked sweetly and smiled when he cursed under his breath. 'Besides, she's babysitting you Uncle. You've been doing far too much recently and I need someone to make sure you don't kill my husband at this stupid gathering'

'I don't need a babysitter and I'll do whatever I want to that boy!' Abe snapped and crossed his hands over his chest stubbornly.

Gail leaned down to Stacey and whispered in her ear. 'Help me here please...I promise he won't bite'

Stacey glanced up at Gail nervously, then pushed down her unease when Gail winked at her playfully and approached Abe cautiously. When the old man did not push her away, she sat down on the floor beside his chair and wrapped her arms around his leg.

Abe stared down at the young girl curiously, knowing this was the girl that his Rosie had written about in her article. He did not have the heart to push her away and let out a long sigh as he accepted her soft gesture. 'Alright, but that Yankee Doctor can take over when we get to your place' he resigned bitterly.

'Whatever you say Uncle' Gail smiled triumphantly, then took a sip of the freshly squeezed lemonade that he had brought her.

* * *

Gail pulled up outside of her old house and stared at it fondly, before getting out and walking up the path. Lucas had requested she bring some old records that she had left here when she moved into the Buck Mansion, something they could play to make her feel at ease. He knew there was no such thing that could ease her stress at having to perform to God knows how many people today; however, she said she would get whatever he wanted and this task would be completed.

The saving grace for today was that Abe had instantly taken to Stacey and although he threatened to palm her off onto Matt, the old man had not let her leave his side and Stacey appeared happy to remain with him. She had dropped them all off with Christie, to enable her friend to take them to the barbecue and she had come straight here to complete her task. She missed this place dearly and being back here reminded her of the freedom she had when she lived alone.

'Oh come on love, livin' with me can't be that bad' Lucas advised, appearing leaning casually on the porch rail as she started opening the front door.

Gail let out a small laugh at his unexpected appearance, but was otherwise unfazed by his presence. She continued opening the door and stepped in without acknowledging him.

Lucas laughed at her blatant disregard for him and followed her into the house. He had fond memories of what they had gotten up to in here and the place brought a smile to his face. 'Remember when we christened that couch, the chair, the window ledge, the walls, the stairs...hell, I think we just about made it everywhere' he laughed, then let out a small sigh when she continued to ignore him.

Gail knew him too well to accept his calmness at being ignored, it was killing him and she would not pander to him right now. She entered her old bedroom and glanced around intently, Matt had not stayed here consistently since she got Merlyn her own place and there were no personal belongings of his to disturb. She spotted the large cupboard where she used to keep her records and smiled when she noticed Matt had not moved anything.

'Harvard really is incapable of making a place his own isn't he? It's not as though there's any danger of you movin' back here' Lucas said as he casually glanced around the room.

'Don't be so sure' Gail advised nonchalantly and looked through the records she owned.

'Oh so you can speak?' Lucas smiled, amused at her inability to ignore him for a prolonged period of time.

Gail rolled her eyes at the lack of control of her speech, then pulled out some Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash records. 'There, make your choices and leave' she said, throwing the records on the bed and heading to the Kitchen.

Lucas watched as she brushed past him abruptly, then followed her into the Kitchen and smiled when he saw her looking out of the window into the backyard. 'You really think I'd let this play out badly for you?' he asked, coming up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulder gently.

Gail inhaled deeply when she saw the large blanket laying on the grass, with a picnic basket and candles placed carefully around it. Her anger at him instantly faded and all of the emotions she had been trying to push down about her parents came flooding out at the gesture.

Lucas sensed her demeanour change instantly and pulled her to his chest when she began to cry. He understood this day was hard for her; however, he had truly believed she had enough time in her life to get over the loss and was taken aback by her sudden loss of control.

Gail allowed him to hold her, smiling when she felt his hand stroke her head reassuringly. This reaction was uncharacteristic for her, she was always in control of her emotions and she did not know why she could not stop crying.

Lucas sensed how overwhelmed she was, then picked her up carefully and walked back to the bedroom. After what she had done for Caleb without his instruction, he had not intended for her to be present at the barbecue and had arranged for Caleb to be the public face of the family. He had wanted her here, where she felt at ease and refused to let her emotions get the better of her.

Gail laughed when Lucas placed her gently on the bed and began unbuttoning his shirt after he removed her pumps. 'Are you serious right now?' she asked in disbelief and shook her head at him using the only thing he knew could distract her from her sorrow.

'I'll be damned if I let my wife cry on such a joyous and important day for our country' Lucas said sarcastically and reached under her dress then slowly pulled down her panties, before taking her ankle in his hand and trailing kisses up her leg.

Gail could not hold a grudge against him, he knew too well how to convince her back to his ways. 'Alright Sheriff' she smiled sweetly and reached down to cup his chin in her hands, 'What will you let your wife do on this joyous and important occasion?'

'Scream for me' he whispered seductively whilst staring deep into her eyes, then parted her legs and pushed his tongue inside of her sweet spot gently.

Gail let out a loud moan and ran her fingers through his hair, she had not allowed him to come near her last night or this morning; therefore, her desire for him was strong and she craved a release.

Lucas smiled at her acceptance of him and began making patterns with his tongue, it did not take long for him to make her unravel and he climbed on top of her after he had licked her moisture off of his lips.

'What am I going to do with you?' she asked in exasperation, as he took control of her body effortlessly.

'Punish me for being such a bad husband' he smiled excitedly, then unzipped his pants and pushed his hard manhood deep inside of her, craving a release of his own pent up energy at their lack of union recently.

Gail let out a loud satisfied moan as he gently pushed in and out of her, then clung to him tight and scraped her nails roughly down his chest, smiling when she drew blood. 'You know me better than that soulmate, you didn't marry a delicate flower' she teased, pulling him closer and biting his neck hard.

Lucas sensed her raw animal desire for him and began thrusting himself deeper inside her. He was attempting to be gentle, given her previous apparent fragile state of mind; however, this was what he truly desired and it turned him on knowing that she wanted to hurt him as much as he wanted to hurt her.

Gail read his mind and laughed, amused at how damaged they clearly were. She felt his twin clawing just beneath his surface and Rosemary was calling to be released, to allow them to have some the way only they knew how. Gail had had enough of feeling fragile, she knew part of it was due to her pregnancy and she was sick of being vulnerable, it just was not her. She let go and allowed Rosemary to be free, sensing Lucas had done the same and smiled at Lucas mischievously in anticipation of what came next.

The dark figure stood silently in the closet at the far side of the room and turned away in disgust at the sight of their union. He had planned to make his move today, sensing the time was right; however, once again his plans had been foiled and he would have to wait for the opportune moment to make his presence known.

When the moans became louder the figure became furious and disappeared, leaving them alone to satisfy their urges and complete their union. His time would come and he just had to be patient.

-The End-


End file.
